Have you listened to it yet? Interview with Haruki Sejima, planner and author of "REBIRTH," the first album of "Live Revolt," a revolution in live performance, in commemoration of its release.

Have you listened to "REBIRTH", the first album of "Live Revolt"?

Live Revolt" was launched under the concept of "Revolutionize Live. It is a major project that involves a multidirectional media mix of two-dimensional content centered on the original manga, as well as three-dimensional content such as real events and live performances.

The project started in May 2017. Since then, they have appeared at various events such as "Machi★Asobi," "Re:ainmetion," and the LIVE DAM STADIUM stage outside "Animelo Summer Live 2018" (Anisama 2018). The world of the group is steadily expanding, as evidenced by the release of the first volume of their original manga on the e-book service "BookLive!

On November 21, 2018, the long-awaited first album "REBIRTH" was released. In December, the 3rd TOUR LIVE "LiveRevolt REBIRTH", their first live tour with this album, will be held, and it is one of the most remarkable This is one of the most remarkable contents in the world today.

We interviewed Haruki Sejima, the planner and author of "LiveRevolt! What kind of revolution is "Live Revolt" trying to bring about? What kind of revolution is "Live Revolt" trying to bring about?

--How did you come up with the "Live Revolt" project?

Sejima There are two reasons, one from an author's point of view and the other from an otaku's point of view. As a scenario writer, I have often been asked to write original manga works, but I have never had a work of my own, and I wanted to create something under my own name with other writers I have worked with creatively. This is the writerly reason.

As for my geeky reasons, I like contents with live performances, and I have been to many of them. I had an ideal image of what a live performance should look like, and I wanted to give form to that image through my work. I guess the geeky reason is that I want to create the best possible site from my perspective as a live-performance geek.

--What are your thoughts behind the concept of "Revolutionize Live Music"? What are your thoughts behind the concept of "Revolutionize Live Music"?

Sejima: In recent years, the term "otaku" has become a very broad term, and the people who enjoy it are becoming more and more diverse. This has led to interspecies conflicts, as you might say (laughs). (Laughs.) At a live concert, you find an otaku you don't like and beat him up on SNS, or you protest against the management in order to build an environment that you can live in comfortably. But if we can create an environment where both sides are a little more tolerant of each other and the management can be tolerant of the otaku, I think there will be more people who can enjoy the live concerts with a pure heart. It's a bit of an experiment, but I think that making this "appreciation of diversity" the standard for live performances will be a "revolution.

--The cast is full of unique personalities.

Sejima In a word, we chose people with an "S" (even if it is just one "S") rather than all "A "s (laughs). (Laughs.) Recently, the voice-over content has been (somewhat) cute! （They are (a little) cute! （Good talker! (Somewhat) cute! (Somewhat) good at singing! I have the impression that the recent voice-over content is all "A "s. No, it's not bad at all, and it's not that bad at all. I think that's not bad at all, and I think that's very good, but I want "Live Revol" to be more sharp. That's why I chose people who have a sharp "S" in their parameters.

--In the beginning, you made a lot of measures to make live performances more exciting. What was your intention behind this?

Sejima It was because I was too much of a damn geek and loved the live performance scene. Of course I put a lot of effort into the original work (laughs), but I guess I was unintentionally putting a lot of effort into it.

　One thing I would like to talk about internally is that the number of management members who create content has increased, and we are currently exploring various aspects, including the division of roles. As you can see from the outside, we have had many people tell us, "Live Revolt is so interesting! and we are getting a lot of help from many great people. Up until now, I and a few other staff members were struggling to make it work, but you said, "Mr. Sejima, please concentrate on writing more interesting original works. I think he was right (laughs).

So, it is not that we are modifying our policy, but rather that we are now able to work on areas that we have not been able to work on before, while maintaining what we have been doing!

--The album "REBIRTH" to be released this time is not only the first album of the contents, but also a business card of the newly formed "Live Revolt". You have invited Yohei Kisara as a producer for this album.

Sejima: I met Mr. Kisara for the first time at the 2nd Live. I was a big fan of μ's (laughs), so I think I was really stumped. After that, we asked him to participate in the project, but he didn't have any reason for the appointment, and at that time, he really just had the face of a nerd.

--Please tell us about your role in this album.

Sejima: For this music, I worked with the lyricists to write the lyrics for all 11 songs! The lyrics strongly reflect the content of the original work, so please take a look at the lyric cards!

--What kind of communication did you have with the cast during the production?

Sejima: Since we have a new lineup, we readjusted the way they sing, and I think some of them may have completely changed their singing style on the CD, so that's also noteworthy.

--What was the one element of this album that you were particularly particular about?

Sejima: The length of the songs! There are a few songs that I ordered with a specific scale for the chorus. The album has a great variety of chorus lengths: 1 series (8 bars), 2 series (16 bars), 3 series (24 bars), 3.5 series (28 bars), and 4 series (32 bars), so I think the composition is such that you will never get tired of playing it live or listening to it on the CD!

--What do you think of the future of "Live Revolt"?

Sejima: The original side is now the most interesting part of the story, and the story is moving with gusto. That is why, when I am writing scenarios at a time like this, I wish I could see these girls in action on film! That's why I'm writing the scenario at this time of the year! Thank you for your support!

--Lastly, do you have a message for our readers?

Sejima: The original work is still in its first volume, so it's an easy introduction! You can get all the songs on one CD album! 　For those who don't want to go to a live concert and get excited, there is an area where you can watch the show at a leisurely pace!　Just buy the book, buy the CD, and buy a ticket to the live show, and you've already conquered the world! So, now that "Live Revolt" has become so easy to enter! Why don't you take this opportunity to join the revolution with us?